Lsb Industries (NYSE:LXU) Shares Gap Up - Still a Buy?

Key Points

• Lsb Industries shares jumped 4.6%, opening at $10.22 versus a prior close of $9.62, though they remained below their 50-day and 200-day moving averages.
• Analysts maintain a consensus “Hold” rating, with an average price target of $14.67; ratings include one Buy and four Holds.
• The company missed quarterly EPS expectations, reporting a $0.09 loss versus an expected $0.33 profit, despite revenue of $168.09 million exceeding forecasts. Insiders recently sold shares, while institutional investors own 73.67% of the stock.

Lsb Industries Inc. (NYSE:LXU - Get Free Report)'s stock price gapped up prior to trading on Monday . The stock had previously closed at $9.62, but opened at $10.22. Lsb Industries shares last traded at $10.1450, with a volume of 138,039 shares.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on LXU shares. UBS Group set a $16.00 price target on Lsb Industries and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 13th. Weiss Ratings cut shares of Lsb Industries from a "hold (c)" rating to a "hold (c-)" rating in a report on Tuesday, August 4th. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Lsb Industries from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, August 1st. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada raised Lsb Industries from a "sector perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $13.00 price objective for the company in a report on Monday. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Lsb Industries has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $14.67.

Lsb Industries Stock Up 4.6%

The company has a current ratio of 2.43, a quick ratio of 2.31 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.82. The stock has a market capitalization of $724.32 million, a P/E ratio of 20.13 and a beta of 0.30. The stock's 50-day moving average price is $11.29 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $12.31.

Lsb Industries (NYSE:LXU - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The conglomerate reported ($0.09) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.33 by ($0.42). Lsb Industries had a return on equity of 6.98% and a net margin of 5.58%.The firm had revenue of $168.09 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $155.45 million. As a group, research analysts expect that Lsb Industries Inc. will post 0.53 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Lsb Industries news, Director Lynn F. White sold 40,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $11.80, for a total transaction of $472,000.00. Following the sale, the director owned 202,489 shares in the company, valued at $2,389,370.20. This represents a 16.50% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, SVP Kristy Carver sold 9,554 shares of Lsb Industries stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $12.38, for a total value of $118,278.52. Following the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 47,452 shares of the company's stock, valued at $587,455.76. The trade was a 16.76% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 3.00% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Lsb Industries

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of LXU. Kennedy Capital Management LLC raised its position in Lsb Industries by 0.4% in the 4th quarter. Kennedy Capital Management LLC now owns 277,355 shares of the conglomerate's stock worth $2,358,000 after purchasing an additional 1,210 shares during the period. Rhumbline Advisers boosted its position in Lsb Industries by 1.8% during the second quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 89,804 shares of the conglomerate's stock valued at $700,000 after buying an additional 1,616 shares during the period. Millennium Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Lsb Industries by 8.5% during the fourth quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 21,573 shares of the conglomerate's stock valued at $183,000 after buying an additional 1,692 shares during the last quarter. Orion Porfolio Solutions LLC grew its stake in shares of Lsb Industries by 21.0% during the third quarter. Orion Porfolio Solutions LLC now owns 12,354 shares of the conglomerate's stock valued at $97,000 after buying an additional 2,148 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada increased its holdings in shares of Lsb Industries by 7.4% in the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 38,916 shares of the conglomerate's stock worth $257,000 after buying an additional 2,692 shares during the period. 73.67% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Lsb Industries Company Profile

LSB Industries, Inc NYSE: LXU is an Oklahoma City–based manufacturer of chemical products serving the agricultural, industrial and defense markets. The company operates primarily through two segments: Fertilizer Solutions and Commodities Solutions. Through its Fertilizer Solutions segment, LSB produces primary nitrogen products—including anhydrous ammonia and technical-grade ammonium nitrate—that are sold to fertilizer distributors and agricultural retailers across North America. Its Commodities Solutions segment manufactures and sells nitric acid, sodium nitrate and other nitrate-based compounds for industrial applications such as mining, water treatment and specialty chemical production, as well as defense-related formulations used in munitions and pyrotechnics.

Incorporated in 1969, LSB Industries has grown from a single production site to multiple manufacturing facilities strategically located in the central United States.

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